I  5 


H  . 


f  \  C  art. 


Outline  Programs 


for  the 


Study  of  Africa 

Mrs.  H.H.  POWERS 


WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 

503  Congregational  House  Boston. 

Price  Ten  Cents 


OUTLINE  PROGRAMS 


FOR  USE  WITH 

THE  LURE  OF  AFRICA 

AND 

AN  AFRICAN  TRAIL 


1917-1918 


WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 
503  Congregational  House 
Boston,  Mass. 


Yesterday ,  Africa  was  the  Continent  of 
history ,  of  mystery ,  0/  tragedy ;  today  it 
is  the  Continent  of  opportunity . 


Bishop  Hartzell 


FOREWORD 


The  searchlight  of  world  interest  has  been  slowly  revolving, 
during  the  past  fifty  years,  turning  its  white  light  in  succession 
upon  Japan,  upon  China,  upon  Turkey.  Today  it  requires  no 
prophetic  vision  to  see  that  upon  Africa  are  soon  to  be  focussed 
the  eager,  the  covetous,  the  longing  eyes  of  the  world. 

We  are  most  fortunate  in  the  material  that  is  provided  this 
year  for  our  mission  study  upon  this  subject  of  vital  present 
import.  The  Lure  of  Africa,  by  Dr.  C.  H.  Patton,  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Board,  which  is  to  be  our  text-book  for  the  year  and  upon 
which  our  Study  Programs  are  based,  deals  but  little  with  details 
and  figures  of  this  station  and  that,  but  gives  the  broad  survey 
of  this  new,  though  ancient,  land,  its  great  problems  and  its 
great  needs.  An  African  Trail ,  by  Jean  Kenyon  Mackenzie, 
brings  us  into  intimate  touch  with  the  heart  of  the  black  race 
among  whom  she  lives  and  whom  she  loves.  Fortunate,  indeed, 
are  we  to  have  books  so  perfectly  supplementing  each  other. 
Still  another  book  on  Africa  has  appeared  the  past  year,  Mary 
S lessor  of  Calabar ,  already  taking  its  place  as  one  of  our  mission¬ 
ary  classics.  These  three  books  every  one  should  read,  whether 
previously  interested  in  missions  or  not.  Miss  Mackenzie’s 
book  lends  itself  especially  to  reading  aloud.  Gather  your 
neighborhood  circles  to  read  and  enjoy  together  its  fine  literary 
quality;  read  it  aloud  at  your  sewing-circle  meetings;  use  it  in 
Lenten  classes;  lend  it  to  your  neighbor  for  her  fireside  reading. 
It  is  a  book  that  no  one  should  miss. 

A  word  to  the  leader  of  the  missionary  programs  of  the  year. 
The  six  outlines  that  have  been  prepared  do  not  deal  with 
isolated  topics,  any  one  of  which  may  be  omitted  without 
affecting  the  rest  but,  based  on  Dr.  Patton’s  book,  they  follow  a 
definite  development  of  thought.  Each  program  is  very  full — 
too  full  for  complete  development  within  the  limited  time  of 
forty-five  minutes  allotted  to  the  program  of  the  ordinary  mis¬ 
sionary  meeting.  Some  things  must  perhaps  be  omitted,  others 
curtailed.  But  endeavor  to  preserve  the  continuity  of  thought, 
if  only  by  a  connecting  sentence  or  two,  and  especially  bring  the 
thought  up  to  the  Christian  climax  at  the  close  of  each  meeting. 

M.  M.  P. 


3 


PROGRAM  I. 


“As  for  me,  I  am  determined  to  open  up  Africa  or  perish.” 

“The  end  of  the  geographical  feat  is  only  the  beginning  of  the 
missionary  enterprise.” 

Livingstone. 


THE  LAND 


I.  Its  Story. 

Africa,  earliest  known,  yet  longest  unknown,  of  con¬ 
tinents.  Egypt,  home  of  the  first  historic  civilization, 
furnishes  the  earliest  date  in  history,  4241  B.  C. 

Yet  Africa  was  still  correctly  termed  “The  Dark  Con¬ 
tinent”  by  Stanley  in  1878,  only  a  narrow  coast  strip  being 
known. 

The  development  of  Africa,  under  European  control,  is 
one  of  the  most  vital  problems  of  the  Twentieth  Century. 

II.  The  Aspect  of  the  Land. 

Malarial  coast  lands  and  central  plateau. 

Footpaths  of  the  past  and  railways  of  the  present. 

Value  and  scenic  beauty  of  lakes  and  water  courses. 

Mineral  and  agricultural  resources. 

The  land  of  big  game. 

III.  Livingstone  and  Stanley. 

A  chapter  in  missionary  romance. 


4 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PROGRAM  I. 


I.  The  early  history  of  Africa  should  not  be  treated  at  all  in  detail. 
A  minute  or  two  must  suffice  to  sketch  in  broad  outline  the  developed 
civilization  of  Egypt,  with  its  dependence  upon  the  Nile  (the  search  for 
the  sources  of  which  motived  so  much  of  nineteenth-century  effort), 
and  of  Egyptian  incursion  into  the  Land  of  Punt  for  slaves  and  treasures, 
forecast  again  of  modern  times.  The  rich  life  of  Carthage  and  of  Rome 
in  northern  Africa  must  also  be  passed  in  a  sentence,  as  influencing  but 
little  the  later  course  of  history.  ^For  our  purpose,  the  story  of  Africa 
begins  with  the  successive  attempts  to  explore  the  interior  during  the 
nineteenth  century.  The  dramatic  situation  resulting  from  the  world 
war  may  well  occupy  some  time,  as  it  is  all  a  part  of  the  missionary 
problem.  The  entire  topic  may  be  carried  out  as  a  map  exercise.  (Time, 
twelve  to  fifteen  minutes.) 

*  References:  Maps  of  Africa  in  1850  and  in  19x0,  Encyc.  Brit., 
vol.  I,  p.  320;  Patton,  pp.  1-3,  13-18;  Mackenzie,  pp.  20-22;  Noble,  ch.  I; 
Moffat,  pp.  13-14;  Encyc.  Brit.,  art.  “Africa,”  secs.  4,  5,  6,  especially 
pp.  332-335, 352,  353;  Breasted,  p.  14;  Gibbons,  various  chapters. 


II.  Secure  photographs  or  magazine  pictures  of  African  scenery  to 
hang  on  a  screen  or  pass  about.  Climatic  conditions  and  transportation 
have  played  a  large  role  in  missionary  experiences.  The  resources  of 
the  land  are  the  key  to  its  modern  life.  The  lion  stories  of  Moffat  and 
Livingstone  are  even  more  thrilling  than  those  of  the  “mighty  hunters” 
of  today.  (Time,  ten  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  4-8,  18-23,  25-27>  7$,  97,  137-140;  Moffat, 
ch.  10;  Tyler,  chs.  9,  10,  30;  Drummond,  chs.  1 ,  3;  Encyc.  Brit.,  art. 
“Africa,”  secs.  1,  7;  Johnston,  ch.  1 ;  White,  Land  of  Footprints. 


III.  However  often  one  takes  up  the  story  of  Livingstone,  it  is  always 
of  fresh  interest.  It  is  the  most  central  and  vital  fact  in  the  history  of 
modern  Africa.  The  impression  which  he  produced  on  Stanley,  changing 
the  paid  journalist  and  well-nigh  adventurer  into  an  exhorter  of  British 
churches  to  missionary  effort,  is  unequalled  in  dramatic  effect.  (Time, 
fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Blaikie,  chs.  21,  22,  23;  or  Hughes,  chs.  8,  9,  12,  17; 
Stanley,  chs.  11,  12,  15;  Encyc.  Brit.,  art.  “Livingstone,”  pp.  813-815; 
art.  “Stanley,”  pp.  779-781. 


*Books  are  referred  to  only  by  author’s  names;  complete  titles  will  be 
found  on  p.  18. 


5 


PROGRAM  II. 


“The  Ethiopian  believes  that  his  life  at  every  point  touches  the 
supernatural.” 


Dr.  James  Wells. 


THE  SOUL  OF  THE  BLACK  MAN 

I.  The  People. 

Common  origin  of  most  of  the  South  African  tribes 
traced  through  their  speech. 

Customs  and  conditions  of  life,  especially  among  the 
Zulu. 

Position  of  women  and  children. 

II.  Native  Belief — the  Rule  of  Fear. 

Character  of  primitive  religions,  belief  in  spirits,  fear  of 
shadows. 

Practice  of  witchcraft;  the  poison  ordeal. 

Taboo  and  fetish. 

The  Ethiopian  conception  of  God. 

III.  The  Native  Christian. 

His  new  freedom;  his  added  responsibility. 

His  staying  power;  lapses  from  the  new  way. 

An  evangelist  to  his  own  people. 

Illustrate  by  examples:  Africaner ,  The  Blind  Zulu , 
Hobeana>  Nomdehe. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PROGRAM  II. 

The  chief  source  of  material  for  this  program  should  be  Miss  Macken¬ 
zie’s  book,  An  African  Trail.  The  charm  of  her  style  and  especially 
her  beautiful  sympathy  with  the  native  heart,  may  well  set  the  key-note 
of  the  meeting.  The  life  of  Mary  Slessor  will  also  furnish  much  suggest¬ 
ive  material. 

I.  An  interesting  map  showing  the  repeatedly  dividing  current  of 
Bantu  speech,  is  found  in  Sir  Harry  Johnston’s  book  on  British  Central 
Africa,  p.  480.  Note  that  the  direction  of  the  current  has  constantly 
been  toward  the  West.  Contrasts  may  be  drawn  between  the  customs 
of  the  Zulus  among  whom  most  Congregational  mission  work  in  Africa 
is  done,  and  conditions  along  the  Gold  Coast  and  toward  the  interior  of 


6 


Tropical  Africa  where  a  still  lower  state  of  life  prevails.  The  tragic 
condition  of  women  and  the  strange  abhorrence  of  twin  children  is  in  the 
foreground  of  Mary  Slessor’s  work — too  frequent  for  detailed  reference. 
(Time,  ten  to  twelve  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  23-25,  140-141;  Mackenzie,  ch.  2;  Tyler, 
chs.  4,  6,  13,  21-23;  Milligan,  chs.  5,  8,  9;  Johnston,  ch.  1 1 ;  Encyc.  Brit., 
arts.  “Bantu  Languages,”  “Zululand,”  “Kaffirs”;  Leaflet,  At  Dawn , 
VV.  B.  M.  and  W.  B.  M.  I. 

II.  Strive  to  make  real  and  vivid  the  fear  felt  by  primitive  man  for 
the  unseen  spirits  all  about  him.  Why  is  he  afraid  of  his  shadow?  Why 
should  the  spirit  lurking  in  the  bush  always  be  an  unfriendly  spirit? 
Read  in  Mary  Slessor  of  the  poison  ordeal  resorted  to  on  the  occasion 
of  every  death.  Why  should  the  people  wish  to  undergo  such  an  ordeal? 
How  can  such  practices  best  be  overcome?  Note  the  belief  in  one  great 
God,  side  by  side  with  these  superstitions.  Does  it  rest  on  the  same 
basis  ? 

There  are  many  interesting  analogies  between  the  primitive  practices 
found  today  in  Africa  and  classic  legends.  Miss  Mackenzie  uses  the 
native  word  “tied”  or  “tying”  for  the  command,  spiritual  or  magical, 
that  constrains  them.  Of  ancient  Egyptian  religious  practice,  we  read: 
“The  verbal  spells  were  always  accompanied  by  some  manual  perform¬ 
ance  like  the  tying  of  magical  knots;  a  sevenfold  knot  was  more  efficacious 
than  others.”  The  snake  harbored  in  the  Zulu  hut  as  the  spirit  of  the 
dead  father  recalls  the  sacred  serpent  of  the  Greeks.  Compare  the 
story  of  Ndongo  Mbe’s  father  (p.  67)  with  the  story  of  Oedipus.  The 
African  wives  who  are  sacrificed  on  the  grave  of  their  chief  are  less  poetic 
and  operatic  than  Brunhilde,  who  offers  herself  and  Siegfried’s  horse  on 
the  funeral  pyre  of  the  hero,  but  the  soul  of  primitive  faith  is  the  same 
in  both.  Other  analogies  will  occur  to  the  thoughtful  reader. 

References:  Patton,  pp.  87-91,  142-144;  Mackenzie,  ch.  3;  Moffat, 
chs.  15,  16,  19;  Tyler,  chs.  11,  12,  25;  Milligan,  chs.  13,  14;  Johnston, 
pp.  439-452;  Encyc.  Brit.,  arts.  “Fetishism,”  “Taboo”;  Leaflet,  Why 
African  Mothers  Fear,  W.  B.  M. 

III.  Miss  Mackenzie’s  appealing  chapter  in  An  African  Trail,  en¬ 
titled  “The  Ten  Tyings”  (first  published  as  “The  Black  Command¬ 
ments,”  Atlantic  Monthly,  December,  1916)  gives,  in  a  very  unusual  way, 
an  insight  into  the  temptations  of  the  African  heart  and  flesh,  as  well  as 
the  freedom  from  the  constant  shadow  of  fear  granted  by  the  new  way. 
Consider  the  difficulties  of  the  Christian  faith  and  practice  for  African 
women,  and  their  heroism  in  overcoming  them;  bring  out  especially  the 
friendships  between  missionary  and  native.  Illustrate  from  Mary 
Slessor;  also  Moffat’s  story  of  Africaner. 

References:  Patton,  pp.  156-158,  175-177;  Mackenzie,  chs.  4,  5; 
Moffat,  pp.  59-64,  chs.  8,  12.  Leaflets,  W.  B.  M.:  The  Blind  Zulu  s 
Story;  Hobeana;  Life  Stories  of  Native  Workers,  p.  49,  “Nomdehe,  an 
African  Princess.” 


7 


PROGRAM  III. 


“Wherefore  glorify  God  when  the  evening  overtaketh  you, 
and  when  ye  rise  in  the  morning,  and  unto  Him  be  praise  in 
Heaven  and  earth;  and  in  the  evening,  and  when  ye  rest  at  noon.” 

Koran. 


MOHAMMEDANISM  IN  AFRICA 

I.  The  Faith  and  Practice  of  Islam. 

a.  As  a  religion. 

Like  Christianity,  an  offshoot  from  Judaism. 

Belief  in  one  all-powerful  God,  and  in  the  self-sur¬ 
render  of  man;  recognition  of  the  Bible,  of  other  proph¬ 
ets,  of  Jesus  as  Messiah;  Mohammed  the  last  and 
greatest  of  prophets. 

Injunctions  concerning  conduct;  habit  of  prayer; 
pilgrimages;  ceremonial  cleanness;  total  abstinence; 
idolatry  forbidden. 

b.  As  a  social  system. 

Doctrine  of  propaganda;  the  Jehad,  or  Holy  War;  a 
religion  that  supplants  the  state — its  present  weakness. 

Position  of  woman;  polygamy  and  divorce;  the  per¬ 
petuation  of  Oriental  custom. 

Attitude  toward  slavery. 

Moslem  education;  the  University  of  El  Azhar. 

c.  Reading  from  the  Koran. 

II.  Strongholds  of  Mohammedanism. 

Early  conquest  of  Northern  Africa;  the  southward 

march. 

Changing  character  when  adopted  by  lower  races; 

Mahdiism. 

Slavery  and  trade. 


8 


III.  Moslem  and  Christian  Face  to  Face. 

The  civil  struggle;  Gordon  and  the  Mahdi. 

The  fight  against  slavery;  Cardinal  Lavigerie. 

The  peaceful  battle  of  the  schools;  the  United  Presby¬ 
terians  in  Egypt. 

The  battle  front;  strategic  lines  of  Christian  missions. 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PROGRAM  III. 

I.  Distinguish  between  Mohammedan  belief,  which  contains  so  much 
that  is  lofty,  and  its  practice,  which  is  often  so  degrading.  Note  the 
effect  of  the  doctrine  of  entire  self-surrender  (Islam)  in  Moslem  fatalism, 
of  the  perpetuation  of  Oriental  customs  as  the  result  of  Mohammed’s 
minute  rules  for  conduct,  contrasting  with  Jesus’  broad  principles 
governing  life.  Consider  especially  the  effect  on  society  of  the  restricted 
life  of  woman,  and  of  the  purely  formal  Moslem  education  of  the  present. 
The  complete  failure  of  the  Jehad  of  1915  to  arouse  the  great  Mohamme¬ 
dan  populations  of  the  French  and  British  empires,  the  Arab  rebellion, 
withdrawing  Mecca  from  the  control  of  the  Sheik-ul-Islam,  and  the 
weakness  of  Turkey  as  a  nation,  are  vital  facts.  The  selections  from 
the  Koran  are  those  of  elevated  devotion.  One  (43  Lane)  shows  the 
voluptuous  conception  of  Heaven.  (Time,  fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Encyc.  Brit.,  arts.  “Mahomet,”  “Mahommedan  In¬ 
stitutions,”  “Sunnites”  (El  Azhar),  “Religion,”  “Koran,”  “Harem”; 
Lane,  Introduction  and  ch.  3;  Noble,  ch.  3;  Cromer,  vol.  II,  pp.  532,  533, 
540-542,  755;  Milner,  pp.  364-366,  375-376. 

Readings  from  the  Koran:  (Arabic  numerals  refer  to  Lane,  numbers  in 
parenthesis  to  the  suras  of  the  Koran).  1.  Opening  prayer  (1);  3, 
God  (cxii);  4,  Throne  verse  (ii,  256);  12  (vi,  59-64);  18  (xciii);  25  (lxi,  6-9); 
30  (lvi,  76-79);  40  (lxxxi,  1-14);  43  (lvi,  1-56);  67  (ii,  U2)- 


II.  Dr.  Patton’s  book,  chapters  2  and  3,  gives  ample  material  for  this 
topic.  A  few  sentences  from  the  Church  Prayer  League  leaflet,  April  17, 
are  suggestive.  “One  of  the  worst  features  of  Mohammedanism  is  that 
it  bars  the  way  to  all  future  advance.”  “There  is  no  character  training; 
very  little  effort  is  required.  That  is  what  makes  the  offer  [to  the 
African  natives]  so  attractive.”  (Time,  fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  chs.  2,  3;  Noble,  pp.  180-187,  and  ch.  3; 
Johnston,  ch.  5;  Encyc.  Brit.,  arts.  “Africa,”  p.  331,  “Egypt,”  “History,” 
sec.  2,  “Mahommedan  Period.” 


III.  Do  not  become  involved  in  historical  detail,  but  emphasize  the 
points  suggested.  Gordon  at  Khartum  was  surrounded  by  the  most 
fanatical  elements  of  Moslem  Africa,  among  whom  alone  Mahdiism 
can  flourish.  The  sacrifice  of  his  life  was  necessary  to  arouse  England 
to  the  necessity  of  making  the  Soudan  a  safe  place  for  all  peoples,  white 
and  black  alike. 


9 


Cardinal  Lavigerie  and  the  “White  Fathers,”  an  order  which  he 
organized  to  suppress  slavery,  were  among  the  most  potent  forces  in 
North  Africa  to  put  a  stop  to  that  infamous  traffic.  The  Christian 
schools  and  hospitals  up  and  down  the  Nile  are  the  best  of  all  agencies 
for  enforcing  the  faith  we  profess.  To  let  in  the  light  is  the  way  to 
scatter  darkness.  This  is  quite  literally  true  of  the  medical  work  in 
Egypt,  which  is  largely  for  eye  troubles  (see  map,  Patton,  p.  48).  Chris¬ 
tian  generalship  demands,  however,  that  the  “enemy”  be  not  permitted 
to  choose  his  own  first  line  of  trenches.  Dr.  Roome’s  article  and  the 
map  in  Dr.  Patton’s  book  deserve  careful  study.  (Time,  fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  47-54,  74-80;  Noble,  pp.  397-415,  656- 
67 3,  737-738;  Gibbons,  pp.  14-30;  Roome,  International  Review  oj 
Missions ,  July,  1916;  Encyc.  Brit.,  arts.  “Gordon”  (at  Khartum),  “Ma- 
hommed  Ahmed.” 


PROGRAM  IV. 

“When  the  history  of  the  African  states  of  the  future  comes  to 
be  written,  the  arrival  of  the  first  missionary  will,  with  many  of 
these  new  nations,  be  the  first  historical  event.” 

Sir  Harry  H.  Johnston. 


STRONGHOLDS  OF  CHRISTIANITY 

I.  Winning  a  Place. 

a.  Early  difficulties;  transportation  and  conditions  of  life, 

climate,  native  rule,  political  intrigue. 

Illustrate  by  lives  of  Robert  and  Mary  Moffat, 
“Forty  Years  in  Zululand,”  and  the  early  experiences 
of  Mary  Slessor. 

b.  Seventy-five  years  in  South  Africa,  a  sketch  of  the 

American  Board  Mission. 

c.  African  advantages:  absence  of  caste  and  formal  reli¬ 

gious  systems  (as  found  in  India  and  China);  virility 
of  the  Bantu  races;  growing  firmness  of  European  rule. 

II.  Missions  in  Africa  at  the  Present  Time. 

Map  exercise  based  on  reports  of  mission  boards,  with 
special  reference  to  stations  of  the  American  Board. 


10 


III.  Christian  Africa. 

a.  Survivals  of  early  Christianity;  the  Coptic  Church  in 

Egypt,  the  Abyssinian  Church. 

b.  The  Dutch  Reformed  and  other  Protestant  Churches  in 

South  Africa. 

c.  The  Church  of  England  in  colonies  and  camps. 

d.  Other  colonial  church  establishments;  work  of  Cardinal 

Lavigerie  in  Algeria  and  Tunis. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PROGRAM  IV. 

I.  The  difficulties  of  early  missionaries  in  Africa  cannot  well  be  over¬ 
drawn,  but  the  cheerful  courage  with  which  all  was  borne  should  take 
due  place  in  the  picture.  Mrs.  Cowles’  letters  from  Umzumbe  bring 
out  many  contrasts,  but  show  that  “experiences”  are  still  to  be  met. 
All  who  work  among  the  Zulus  speak  of  their  fine  physique  and  superior 
character.  Compare  Zulu  character  with  that  of  the  pliable,  but  un¬ 
stable  negro.  (Time,  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes.) 

References:  Moffat,  chs.  n,  18,  22-25,  3°»  31;  Tyler,  entire  book; 
American  Board  leaflets  on  Zulu,  South  African  and  West  Central  African 
Missions,  and  The  American  Board  Missions  in  Africa,  1916;  Striking 
Contrasts  in  South  Africa;  Our  IV orld-lV ide  Work  (W.  B.  M.);  Umzumbe 
Revisited  (leaflet,  W.  B.  M.). 

v 

II.  The  more  care  spent  on  this  topic,  the  more  interesting  it  can  be 
made.  Glass-headed  pins  or  thumb  tacks  or  pins  bearing  tiny  flags, 
now  much  used  for  war  bulletins  and  the  like,  can  be  stuck  in  the  map, 
or  small  circles  of  colored  paper  pasted  on,  different  colors  being  used 
for  the  different  Boards.  Take  care  that  they  are  not  too  small  to  be 
seen  by  all.  Or  a  blackboard  map  may  be  marked  with  different  colored 
crayons  (Cf.  Patton,  p.  48).  (Time,  fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  76-80,  144-160;  Mackenzie,  pp.  37-41; 
Statistical  Atlas  of  Missions;  Encyc.  Brit.,  arts.  “Missions,”  “Africa.” 

1(1.  In  estimating  the  balance  of  Christian  and  Mohammedan  forces 
in  Africa,  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  consider  only  mission  work,  though 
missions  were  first  on  the  field  and  have  gone  in  the  vanguard  of  civiliza¬ 
tion.  The  two  ancient  churches,  feeble  and  formal  though  their  life 
may  be,  still  maintain  their  existence  against  every  advance  of  Islam, 
and  in  Egypt  it  is  the  Copts  who  fill  the  mission  and  government  schools. 

Still  more  important  are  the  Dutch  and  English  churches  in  South 
Africa.  The  Dutch  Reformed  Church  has  a  membership  of  nearly 
700,000  in  South  Africa.  Wherever  the  English  are  found,  whether  in 
permanent  homes  or  in  the  transient  army  camp  on  sea  or  land,  there  is 

1 1 


1 


found  the  Church  of  England,  in  the  ivy-covered  Gothic  building  remi¬ 
niscent  of  home,  in  the  flag-draped  reading  desk  of  the  army  chaplain, 
in  the  church  flag  run  to  the  top  of  the  mainmast  on  Sunday  morning. 
Wherever  white  men  can  live  in  Africa,  there  will  be  found  the  home 
churches  of  each  nation.  The  material  is  found  in  dry  statistics  of 
Encyclopedia  or  Statesman  s  Year  Book  and  must  be  used  with  im¬ 
agination.  (Time,  ten  minutes.) 

References:  Encyc.  Brit.,  arts.  “Copts”  (Coptic  Church),  “Abysin- 
nian  Church,”  section  on  “Religion”  in  arts,  on  “South  Africa,”  “Orange 
Free  State,”  “Natal,”  “Cape  Colony”;  Statesman  s  Year  Book,  sec.  on 
“Religion”  and  “Instruction”  under  various  countries. 


PROGRAM  V. 


“Said  England  unto  Pharaoh,  ‘I  must  make  a  man  of  you.’  ” 

Kipling. 


AFRICA  AND  CIVILIZATION 

I.  The  White  Man  as  Explorer;  the  Arraignment. 

a.  The  menace  of  diamonds  and  gold;  the  mines  at  Kim¬ 

berly  and  on  the  Rand;  regulation  of  life  of  native 
laborers. 

b.  The  trade  in  liquor;  source  and  amount  of  liquor  sent 

to  Africa;  its  effect  on  the  natives. 

c.  The  Congo  tragedy;  dependence  of  the  modern  world  on 

rubber;  its  toll  in  human  life;  present  status. 

d.  The  lesson  from  cocoa;  what  Christian  traders  can  ac¬ 

complish. 

II.  The  White  Man  as  Administrator;  Good  Govern¬ 

ment  and  Empire  Building. 

a.  Lord  Cromer’s  service  to  Egypt;  to  the  country  and  to 

the  native;  the  gift  of  water. 

b.  Cecil  Rhodes  in  South  Africa;  his  character  and  varied 

activities;  his  vision  of  the  future;  his  many  philan¬ 
thropies. 

III.  The  White  Man  in  Social  Service;  the  Mission¬ 

ary’s  Task. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  B.  Bridgman  in  Johannesburg. 


12 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PROGRAM  V. 


I.  Take  as  the  leading  thought,  the  dependence  of  modern  life  on  the 
products  of  the  tropics,  and  the  slow  growth  of  feelings  of  humanity  in 
dealing  with  the  lower  races — “those  silent,  sullen  peoples,”  as  Kipling 
calls  them.  Consider  the  problem  of  liquor  as  the  medium  of  exchange 
with  the  natives,  America’s  responsibility  and  possible  remedies.  The 
story  of  Congo  rubber  need  not  be  too  detailed,  but  should  include  the 
efforts  made  to  rectify  wrongs  and  their  results.  (Time,  ten  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  1 17-127;  Powell,  pp.  232-235,  239-243; 
Morel  (all);  Encyc.  Brit.,  art.  “Diamond”;  Outlook ,  Jan.  1,  1910;  John¬ 
ston,  Nineteenth  Century,  Sept.,  1911;  W.  C.  T.  U.  leaflets. 

II.  a.  Emphasize  the  changed  condition  of  Egypt  as  the  result  of 
Lord  Cromer’s  twenty-five  years’  service  as  British  Consul,  a  change 
from  bankruptcy  to  sound  credit,  from  oppression  to  justice,  and  the 
use  made  of  the  people  themselves  in  accomplishing  this  result,  native 
soldiers,  police  force,  even  officials  and  judges;  the  release  of  the  fellaheen 
from  forced  labor  and  the  scourge,  and  success  in  winning  them  to  volun¬ 
tary  service;  the  great  irrigation  works  and  their  results.  Read  Kitchen¬ 
er  s  School,  by  Kipling. 

b.  Bring  out  the  picturesque  elements  in  the  story  of  Cecil  Rhodes: 
his  home  overlooking  the  wide  sweep  of  country,  emblematic  of  his  own 
breadth  of  vision;  his  plan  for  the  Cape-to-Cairo  Railway  and  the  effect 
it  must  have  on  African  development;  the  daring  construction  of  the 
road  built  in  the  spray  of  Victoria  Falls;  his  great  wealth  and  boundless 
benefactions,  including  the  land  and  favor  that  made  our  own  Rhodesian 
Mission  possible;  his  grave  on  the  hill  top.  Read  The  Burial,  by 
Kipling.  (Time,  twenty  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  109-117;  Powell,  ch.  5,  especially  pp.  108, 
109,  121-124,  I4I>  and  ch.  8,  pp.  190-194,  212,  223;  Milner,  ch.  9; 
Encyc.  Brit.,  art.  “Africa,”  pp.  182-184;  Cromer;  Mackenzie,  pp.  173-181; 
Kipling,  Kitchener  s  School  (quoted  in  Life  and  Light,  May,  1917),  and 
The  Burial.  World's  Work,  vol.  14,  July,  1907  (Cromer);  Missionary 
Review,  September,  1902  (Cecil  Rhodes). 

III.  The  wonderful  opportunity  for  far-reaching  Christian  work 
offered  by  the  strategic  situation  of  Johannesburg  should  be  made  the 
text  for  an  earnest  appeal,  not  alone  for  hearty  support  of  the  Bridgmans 
in  the  new  work  into  which  they  are  entering  so  enthusiastically,  but 
for  a  greatly  quickened  interest  in  all  the  work  in  Africa,  where  the 
forces  of  civilization,  good  and  bad  alike,  are  striving  for  the  souls  and 
bodies  of  peoples  so  unequal  to  the  conflict.  Now  is  the  day  of  oppor¬ 
tunity.  Tomorrow  it  may  be  too  late.  (Time,  fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Johannesburg,  the  Hub  of  South  Africa,  leaflet  (all); 
Missionary  Herald,  September,  1913,  December,  1914,  March,  1915, 
July,  1915;  American  Board,  Sketch  of  Seventy-five  Years ,  pp.  58-62. 
(Loan  Library  of  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions.  Not  on  Sale.) 


13 


PROGRAM  VI. 


Cecil  Rhodes. 
Rhodes's  last  words. 


“The  great  secret  of  life  is  work.” 
“So  little  done,  so  much  to  do.” 


THE  LABORATORY  OF  CHRISTIANITY 

I.  Africa’s  Special  Problems. 

a.  The  race  question,  to  raise,  not  ruin,  the  native;  the 

Ethiopian  or  nationalist  movement. 

b.  The  clash  of  nations;  encouragement  from  the  recon¬ 

ciliation  of  Boer  and  Britain. 


II.  Meeting  the  Needs  of  African  Girls. 

a.  Life  at  school;  learning  to  live  and  learning  to  work. 

b.  Life  in  the  home;  new  lessons  of  morality,  new  ideas  of 

marriage,  new  care  for  children. 


III.  Changing  Africa;  The  Missionary’s  Contribution. 

a.  A  new  continent;  exploration  and  scientific  discovery; 

native  languages  reduced  to  writing;  the  missionary 
the  advance  guard  of  civilization. 

b.  A  new  mind;  education  of  the  natives;  government 

recognition  of  mission  schools;  industrial  education; 
the  success  of  Lovedale. 

c.  A  new  community;  the  story  of  Uganda. 

d.  New  lives;  a  group  of  contrasts;  the  Umvoti  Con¬ 

ference;  Easter  at  Chikore;  the  Zulu  choir  at  Durban. 


14 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PROGRAM  VI. 


I.  a.  The  blacks  outnumber  the  whites  in  South  Africa  nearly  five 
to  one.  Most  of  them  have  as  yet  little  or  no  training  in  self-control  and 
the  art  of  living.  Bishop  Colenso  is  said  to  have  “spoiled”  them  by  over¬ 
appreciation.  The  Government  considers  repression  and  segregation 
necessary.  In  religious  matters,  the  formation  of  an  independent  native 
church  has  been  the  source  of  great  anxiety  to  the  missionaries.  Our 
own  Zulu  Mission  has  suffered  from  this  movement.  The  sorrow  it 
caused  to  that  apostle  of  Africa,  James  Stewart,  is  vividly  told  in  Stewart 
of  Lovedale,  ch.  27.  Mackay  of  Uganda  said:  “Africa  may  be  for  the 
Africans,  but  Africa  will  never  be  saved  by  the  Africans  only.”  Con¬ 
sider  the  seriousness  of  this  situation  and  the  part  the  missionary  effort 
carried  on  by  white  men  must  play  for  years  to  come.  Read  Kipling’s 
The  White  Man's  Burden. 

b.  Study  the  reaction  of  international  friction  upon  mission  work, 
the  attitude  toward  missions  taken  by  different  governments,  the  effect 
upon  the  natives  of  disagreement  between  these  governments,  especially 
the  effect  of  the  present  war.  (Time,  ten  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  178-185,  and  his  article  in  Life  and  Light , 
May,  1917;  Powell,  pp.  218-219,  225-231,  243-245;  Wells,  chs.  16,26,27; 
Noble,  II,  756-762;  Sketch  of  Seventy-five  Years ,  28,  29;  Encyc.  Brit., 
art.  “South  Africa,”  sec.  “The  Union”;  Gibbons,  pp.  50-52,  67-72,  450- 
452. 

II.  As  women,  our  chief  interest  in  Africa  must  be  the  efforts  being 
made  by  our  Boards  and  missionaries  to  educate  and  Christianize  the 
future  mothers.  The  Umzumbe  Home,  established  by  Mrs.  Laura 
Bridgman,  expresses  its  purpose  in  its  name.  Industrial  work  is  em¬ 
phasized  at  Inanda.  Both  schools  prepare  for  the  Amanzimtoti  Normal 
School  at  Adams,  where  boys  and  girls  study  together.  Mt.  Silinda 
School  occupies  a  healthful  situation,  4,000  feet  above  sea  level,  on  land 
given  by  Cecil  Rhodes,  and  is  doing  much  in  industrial  and  general 
education.  Miss  Holmes,  one  of  our  Jubilee  missionaries,  who  has 
taught  at  Hampton  Institute,  is  going  to  the  new  boarding  school  at 
Dondi,  where  she  will  train  the  girls  of  West  Africa  in  the  use  of  mind 
and  hand.  (Time,  fifteen  minutes.) 

References:  Mackenzie,  pp.  183-203;  Noble,  ch.  17;  Our  World- 
Wide  Work ,  pp.  10-25;  Life  and  Light ,  December,  1916,  “A  Step  Forward 
in  Natal,”  and  June,  1917,  “A  Paying  Investment  in  Rhodesia”;  Leaflets, 
The  Umzumbe  Home .  Inanda  Seminary. 

III.  This  topic  should  be  made  the  summing  up  and  climax  of  the 
work  of  the  year  on  Africa.  The  missionary  work  of  exploration  and 
discovery  was  always  for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  dark  land  to  the 
light.  The  scientific  recognition  which  came  to  many  of  our  mission¬ 
aries  as  a  result  shows  the  manner  of  men  they  were.  The  invention  of  a 
written  language  and  the  printing  of  books  for  these  unlettered  savages 
wa9  the  prerequisite  for  the  next  step — their  education.  The  quality 
of  the  education  which  the  American  Board,  through  its  teachers  and 


15 


schools  has  provided,  is  evidenced  by  the  annual  grant  ($20,000  in  1916) 
which  the  Government  of  Natal  appropriated  for  our  primary  schools, 
some  eighty  in  number.  The  Government  agrees  to  build  and  equip  the 
schoolhouses  and  pay  the  teachers  who  are  chosen  from  the  graduates 
of  our  Amanzimtoti  Normal  School  at  Adams.  The  present  Government 
inspector  is  an  American  and  a  Christian,  trained  in  Columbia  Teachers’ 
College.  The  text-books,  most  of  them  written  by  the  missionaries, 
are  also  furnished  by  the  Government,  which  determines  the  curriculum 
and  insists  upon  instruction  in  the  Bible  and  in  Christian  truths  and 
morality.  Dr.  Patton  writes:  “When  you  consider  that  we  have  in 
these  primary  schools  (in  Natal)  over  6,000  pupils,  drawn  mostly  from 
heathen  kraals,  you  will  realize  what  a  tremendous  influence  they  are 
towards  civilizing  and  Christianizing  the  natives.”  “In  Rhodesia  the 
policy  is  much  the  same,  liberal  grants  being  made  for  the  plants  at  Mt. 
Silinda  and  Chikore.  We  receive  high  praise  from  the  Government 
inspector  in  respect  to  the  work  being  done  in  these  institutions.” 

Most  mission  schools  make  much  of  industrial  training.  The  great 
success  in  that  work  has  been  at  Lovedale  in  Cape  Colony.  Like  the 
work  of  exploration  and  translation,  brilliant  as  the  success  in  each  may 
have  been,  so  even  education  is  not  an  end,  but  again  a  means — to  open 
the  dark  continent  of  men’s  minds,  to  discern  the  hidden  sources — not 
alone  of  the  Nile,  but  of  those  springs  that  make  fruitful  the  lives  and 
hearts  of  men. 

Use  the  story  of  Uganda  to  show  the  encouragement  we  may  gain 
from  the  measure  of  success  in  Christianizing  an  entire  community. 
The  testimony  of  Winston  Churchill  is  especially  interesting  in  this 
connection.  Dr.  Patton’s  contrasts  will  show  the  change  wrought  in 
individual  lives,  where  all  such  work  must  begin  and  end,  but  for  which 
all  the  forces  of  church  and  state  must  work,  if  either  is  to  live  and  prosper. 
(Time,  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes.) 

References:  Patton,  pp.  8-13,  91-94,  144-146,  165-178,  185-193; 
Battersby,  chs.  7,  15,  16;  Wells,  chs.  n,  12,  18-21,  25,  30,  31;  Noble,  II, 
pp.  562-578,  684-719;  Gibbons,  pp.  206-210. 


i6 


BOOKS  AND  OTHER  MATERIAL 

It  would  be  possible  to  carry  out  these  programs  with  the  use  only  of 
the  two  text-books  for  the  year,  Dr.  Patton’s  book,  The  Lure  of  Africa, 
on  which  the  foregoing  outline  has  been  mainly  based,  and  Jean  Macken¬ 
zie’s  An  African  Trail,  and  of  the  latest,  the  Eleventh  Edition  of  the 
Encyclopedia  Britannica,  at  least  one  copy  of  which  it  is  believed  will  be 
found  in  every  community.*  Constant  reference  has  been  made  to 
these  three  sources. 

In  treating  so  great  a  subject  as  Africa,  it  is  obvious,  however,  that 
the  widest  possible  range  of  reading  will  be  desirable.  The  bibliography 
on  page  18  includes  only  those  books  and  periodicals  to  which  definite 
reference  by  chapter  or  page  has  been  made  in  the  Suggestions.  Ex¬ 
cellent  bibliographies  will  be  found  in  both  text-books. 

A  few  of  the  books  called  for  among  our  references  are  deserving  of 
special  mention.  Robert  Moffat’s  Missionary  Labors,  published  in  1840 
and  now  out  of  print,  but  to  be  found  in  all  older  libraries,  should,  if 
possible,  be  used,  as  being  an  original  source  and  possessing  a  charm  that 
interprets  for  us  his  success.  Tyler’s  Forty  Years  in  Zululand  is  also 
invaluable  as  picturing  for  us  conditions  during  the  early  days  of  our 
mission.  Mary  Slessor  of  Calabar  is  the  literary  event  of  the  past  year 
and  should  be  very  widely  read.  The  Redemption  of  Africa,  by  Frederic 
Perry  Noble,  to  which  frequent  reference  has  been  made,  will  be  found 
especially  helpful.  Sir  Harry  Johnston,  a  distinguished  scientist  and 
British  administrator,  has  written  a  number  of  books  on  Africa.  His 
view  of  African  problems  is  not  that  of  the  missionary;  the  same  is  true 
of  White’s  Land  of  Footprints,  a  hunter’s  book,  and  Powell’s  The  Last 
Frontier,  an  interesting  and  breezy  account  of  the  present  situation, 
journalistic  in  style,  but  sound  in  its  conclusions.  Gibbons’  New  Map  of 
Africa  deals  primarily  with  the  problem  of  European  control  of  Africa. 
The  author’s  cynical  temper  and  apparently  unsympathetic  attitude 
toward  certain  European  governments,  notably  that  of  Great  Britain, 
should  be  guarded  against  in  accepting  his  conclusions. 

If  the  necessary  books  are  not  found  in  your  local  library,  ask  the 
director  to  purchase  them  for  the  use  of  your  circle.  Books  of  large 
world  interest  are  gladly  secured  by  all  our  public  libraries.  Use  freely 
the  loan  library  at  the  rooms  of  the  Woman’s  Board,  14  Beacon  Street, 
Boston.  Books  will  be  sent  by  mail  for  a  period  of  two  weeks,  postage 
only  being  charged. 

Outline  maps  of  Africa  may  be  obtained  from  the  rooms  of  the  Mission¬ 
ary  Education  Movement,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York.  Six  or  eight 
maps  may  be  used  to  good  advantage  in  the  course  of  the  year.  Africa 
in  1850;  the  routes  of  Livingstone  and  Stanley;  the  Bantu  language  map; 
Mohammedan  Africa  and  Dr.  Roome’s  strategic  line  of  mission  stations; 
spheres  of  influence  of  different  mission  Boards;  work  of  the  Woman’s 
Board  and  American  Board;  political  map  of  Europe  in  Africa — such 
maps  as  these  at  each  meeting  will  greatly  aid  both  information  and 
interest. 

*  Note.  An  older  edition  of  the  Britannica,  the  Ninth,  is  in  many  libraries. 
It  should  be  carefully  noted  that  our  references  will  not  be  found  in  it,  most 
of  the  material  required  being  of  much  more  recent  date. 

17 


BOOKS  TO  WHICH  DEFINITE  REFERENCE 
IS  MADE  IN  THE  TEXT 


Battersby,  Harford,  Pilkington  of  Uganda 
Blaikie,  W.  G.,  The  Personal  Life  of  David  Livingstone 
Cromer,  Lord,  Modern  Egypt 
Drummond,  Henry,  Tropical  Africa 
Encyclopedia  Britannic  a,  Eleventh  Edition 
Gibbons,  Herbert  Adams,  The  New  Map  of  Africa. 

Hughes,  Thomas,  Life  of  Livingstone 

Johnston,  Sir  Harry,  British  Central  Africa — 220  illustrations 
Kipling,  Rudyard,  Collected  Verse  (Doubleday,  Page,  1 91 1 ) 

Lane,  E.  W.,  Selections  from  the  Kur-an,  with  Introduction  by 
Stanley  Lane-Poole 

Livingstone,  W.  B.,  Mary  Slessor  of  Calabar 
Mackenzie,  Jean  K.,  An  African  Trail 
Mackenzie,  Jean  K.,  Black  Sheep 
Milligan,  Robert  H.,  The  Fetish  Folk  of  West  Africa 
Milner,  Alfred,  England  in  Egypt. 

Moffat,  Robert,  Missionary  Labors  and  Scenes  in  South  Africa 
Morel,  Edmund  D.,  Red  Rubber 

Noble,  Frederic  Perry,  The  Redemption  of  Africa,  2  vols. 

Patton,  Cornelius  H.,  The  Lure  of  Africa 

Powell,  Alexander,  The  Last  Frontier 

Stanley,  Henry  M.,  How  I  Found  Livingstone 

Statesman’s  Year  Book 

Statistical  Atlas  of  Missions 

Tyler,  Josiah,  Forty  Years  in  Zululand 

Wells,  James,  Stewart  of  Lovedale 

White,  Stewart  Edward,  The  Land  of  Footprints 


PERIODICALS 


International  Review  of  Missions,  July,  1916 

Life  and  Light,  December,  1916;  May,  June,  July-August,  1917 

Missionary  Review,  September,  1902 

Nineteenth  Century,  Sept.,  1911. 

Outlook,  June  1,  1910 

World’s  Work  (vol.  14),  July,  1907 

Missionary  Herald,  ‘‘Work  of  the  Bridgmans,”  September,  1913;  Decem¬ 
ber,  1914;  March,  July,  1915 


18 


4 

LEAFLETS 

Woman’s  Board  of  Missions 

At  Dawn . 05 

Blind  Zulu  s  Story . 02 

Hobeana . 02 

Life  Stories  of  Native  Workers  . 10 

Our  World-Wide  Work . 25 

Umzumbe  Home . 03 

Umzumbe  Revisited . 04 

Visit  to  I nanda  Seminary  . 03 

Why  African  Mothers  Fear . .03 

Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Interior 

At  Dawn  .  .  ....  . 05 

*  Children  of  the  Shadow,  a  Play . 15 

,  Women  of  West  Central  Africa . 03 

No  Sick  People  There . 02 

American  Board 

-  Johannesburg,  the  Hub  of  South  Africa 

Sketch  of  Seventy-five  Years  (Loan  Library  of  W.  B.  M.) 

Zulu ,  South  African  and  West  Central  African  Missions 
The  American  Board  Missions  in  Africa,  1916 
1  Striking  Contrasts  in  South  Africa 


*  W.  C.  T.  U.  Cards  and  Leaflets 


THE  DAWN  DOES  NOT  COME 
TWICE  TO  AWAKEN  A  MAN, 
African  Proverb 


